People chief attacks BBC for stifling creative talent

The BBC takes the best of the best and then drains the spark out of them,
according to Nigel Paine, head of people development at the BBC.

Paine, speaking at the Training Insight Conference, launched a stinging
attack on how the BBC treats new staff after an internal questionnaire showed
only 28 per cent of employees believe the corporation is exploiting their full
potential.

He said talented new recruits were frustrated with how long it can take to
rise through the ranks at the BBC.

"We have to work out a way of embracing that talent and accelerating it
through the system, while still registering that there are standards," he
said.

"We are taking people with a spark and draining it out of them so there
is nothing left. It is not something I am proud of."

He said the BBC needed to change its thinking so that it embraced
innovation, creativity and uncertainty. There has to be greater sharing of
power and knowledge at the BBC, which would mean ideas would not be ranked
according to the seniority of the person who had them, he added. "We need
to create a culture where 27,000 people’s opinions count, not four people and a
dog," Paine said.

He also pledged to work hard to promote ethnic, geographical, and age
diversity at the broadcasting corporation.